Supernatural Episode 8-11 Review – “LARP and The Real Girl”

After making some tough choices last week Sam and Dean decide to blow off some steam by having a typical boys night out: catching a flick, eating a little dinner, drinking massive amounts, hitting up a strip club and maybe killing a vampire or two; you know fun. Unfortunately for them but lucky for us fans, they get a text from the “New Bobby”, Garth which ruins their plans. They are instead sent to investigate why a perfectly healthy…yet weird young man was drawn and quartered in his locked apartment one night.

Turns out that their only lead is to a camp ground and some vague threats from a Wizard. This, for those that haven’t figured out already, ends up leading our boys head long into the world of Larping. The mystery deepens as they learn about a game/world called “Moondoor” (get it? it’s like Mordor) which is at the heart of the murder, where their former ally and hacker Charlie (played by the always wonderful Felicia Day) is the current “Queen of the Realm”.

However one does not exactly stroll into Moondoor especially when the Larpers quickly pick out their fake FBI badges. To get close to the Queen and the case Sam and Dean are forced to join as squires in her service. as she is being attacked on all sides. Her numbers are dwindling because most of them have been well…dying and not just in the game. For those who are familiar with these kind of stories should not be overly surprised by the answer to this “who-dunnit” but when the story is this fun and greatly acted and told it really doesn’t matter. I would spoil it or go way too long waxing philosophical or telling you the whole story but I simply don’t want to spoil the fun for you. Let me just say the following and you can be on your way.

“Larp and the Real Girl” is a wonderful little episode full of hilarious in-jokes, might and magic, sword play, and is ultimately a loving send up of this avenue of nerd culture that clearly comes from a group of people that have most certainly walked the streets or this camp ground many times before. It treats the players with respect in that they are all not crazy or severally confused by reality but that doesn’t mean they aren’t afraid to play the part and act a little ridiculous when the mood calls for it. either which is really a novel approach for an episode like this one and it is all the better for it.

Long story short – this is obviously not one of the “important episodes” in the series but definitely ranks as one of the best not concerning the main story arc. An absolute must see for all Supernatural fans. So get thee to your DVR, Hulu or whatever it is you need to gaze at this fantastic little gem. Give it a watch.

Funny Lines from the Show

1. “These kids today with their texting and murder” = Sheriff

2. Dean: “Your a Larper aren’t you?”

Baltor: “I prefer interactive Literaturist”

3. Sam: “His body showed clear signs that he was killed by Belladonna?

Dean and Charlie (together)”The Pornstar?

Sam: “Ehh no the poison.”

4. Dean: “Hey there is no internet in Moondoor, so there isn’t any Geneva convention either”